Page 129 of Smoke

“I’m just trying to see what you cooked, Ma. Dang. You stay abusing me. I’m calling CPS on you.”

“They would take one look at your big ass and turn right around.”

“See, Romi’s mama doesn’t act like that. She willingly gives me samples.”

“Trust me. If you’re around her long enough, that will change.”

I fought back my laughter. I loved his relationship with his mother. They play fought like siblings all the time, and she was always getting in his ass. From what I’d seen at Granny Dillinger’s birthday, all his brothers were the same way with their mothers. It seemed like they lived to work their nerves.

Mr. Alec came in through the back door, smiling as usual. After dapping Devin, he came to hug me.

“Hey, Romi. Where is my little friend?”

“Upstairs with Deja.”

“Alec, tell your wife to stop hitting me,” Devin snitched.

Mr. Alec chuckled. “Allison, why are you hitting my son?”

She scoffed. “I’ll hit you too.”

He shrugged. “I tried, man.” He turned back to me. “How is the little one?”

“She’s doing amazing. They are talking about letting her come home this week.”

“I know you’re happy about that. It’s been a long time coming. I uh… I actually have something for her. I wanted to have it ready for the baby shower, but I knew there was no time for that. I finally finished it, so you can take it home today.”

He disappeared down the hall, returning shortly, rolling something covered in a cloth. With a huge smile, he placed it in front of me.

“I know she has one for her room, but I figured you’d be keeping her with you for a while. I’m sure you don’t want the hassle of moving it from room to room.”

He motioned for me to remove the covering, and when I did, I gasped. There was the most beautiful wooden bassinet. It was painted pink with “Juri Angel” across the front panel.

“Mr. Alec… you made this?”

He nodded. I knew he was a carpenter, but I never expected this.

“Thank you,” I said, giving him a tearful hug. “It’s beautiful.”

“You’re welcome. We know how much you and those girls mean to our Devin. You’re family now, and you’re stuck with us.”

I smiled. “I don’t mind being stuck at all.”

“Good,” Ms. Allison said. “Hopefully, one of these days, we’ll earn the title of mother and father in-law and grandma and grandpa, but we’ll be patient with that.” She looked at Devin and winked. “My point is… we love having you around, and we hope you’llstayaround.”

I returned her smile. “I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.”

I hugged the both of them, soaking up their love. I didn’t know what to do with myself. Being welcomed by this man’s entire family was overwhelming in the best way. We had an overflow of unexpected love, and it was more than I could ever ask for.

“Mama!” Maceo yelled, coming through the front door with Shar and her baby bump on his heels.

Ms. Allison rolled her eyes. “I can’t escape it. Maceo… for the love of God, please stop yelling in my house.”

He kissed his teeth. “Don’t act brand new, Ma. Give me some love.”

She huffed and smiled as she went over to hug him. Devin smirked as he sandwiched her between the two of them. I don’t think they would ever admit it, but both of them were mama’s boys. Devin spoke with her almost every day and saw her at least once a week. I loved it.

Ms. Allison’s little arms flung about as she fought to squeeze from between them.

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